


Reminiscing

by TortiTabby



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Childhood Memories, Fix-It, Introspection, M/M, No Character Death, Recovered Memories, Repressed Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21869719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TortiTabby/pseuds/TortiTabby
Summary: Richie Tozier has never given much thought to how little he thinks about his childhood until he gets a phone call from an old friend, urging him to come back to his home town.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	Reminiscing

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for being my beta reader Tobie <3

Richie never gave much thought to his past or how much or little he thought of where he came from. 

He had vague memories of the little Maine town, but he figured he kicked down as much childhood memories as any other forty year old closeted man would. 

Sometimes he had dreams about Derry that felt real and realistic in ways that made his head ache. He woke up with hazy memories of bicycles and arcade games, short shorts and an inhaler, even though he apparently never owned one. 

  
  
  


“You have anybody here tonight, Rich?” His manager greeted him with a big smile back in the green room while people piled in to see his show. 

“Nah, it’s just you and me, handsome.” Richie joked dryly. He didn’t spit a your mom joke out no matter how much they seemed to always be on the tip of his tongue. 

He just scoffed. “Hey, phone’s for you, Rich. You go on in five so make it a quick one.” 

Richie frowned and took the phone. He didn’t have very many people in his life that would warrant a phone call. He had family members who he was sure cared and he had casual friends that came and went. 

Maybe somebody in the family was sick or something.

“Hello?” He asked warily.

“Rich. Richie it’s me. It’s Mike.” 

“Mike?” Richie wracked his brain. The name and the voice sounded so familiar but as hard as he tried to place it he still came up empty. 

“Mike Hanlon. From Derry?” 

Richie’s head started to spin. Derry, Maine? Visions of bike rides and hammocks and underground clubhouses clouded his eyes. His friends. He had real,  _ close _ , good friends. It felt like a missing part of him was finally found after a lifetime of not realizing he was looking. 

“You need to come back to Derry, Rich. You need to come tomorrow. I need your help.” 

Richie opened his mouth to reply but before he had a chance he doubled over the railing and lost his lunch. A wave of foreboding washed over him. He had never felt dread like that before. It rocked him to his core. 

He realized Mike had hung up halfway being rushed to the stage. 

Drinks were pressed into his shaking hands and pulled right back out of them within seconds and he grappled with trying to understand what was happening in his mind and outside of it. Where was the fear coming from? How could he forget Mike and Derry and… there was more he couldn’t quite remember yet but could feel it on the tip of his tongue like a misplaced word. 

He flopped on the first joke of the night and tried to wing it the rest of the night. Nobody complained when he cut his set short and stalked out of the building and didn’t stop until he reached his house. He packed a bag and booked a flight and was on his way back to Derry, Maine before he could hesitate. 

He drove his rental car straight to the Chinese restaurant. He tried not to freak out about not having to look up directions or put it in his GPS. 

He got out of the car and instantly recognized Beverley and Ben, who were talking quietly outside of the doors. 

“Richie, hi!” Beverly brought him into her arms and hugged him tight. More memories came flooding back. His friends, his found family, were all in this town. How could he forget Bill? Stanley, Ben, Mike and Beverly?  _ Eddie fucking Kaspbrak.  _ He knew he would have  _ died _ for them at one point. The thought made his stomach turn curiously. 

He went inside and obnoxiously banged the gong that some idiot just left out for _ idiots like Richie _ to hit whenever they pleased. He initiated the Loser Club’s reunion and glanced up.

It was like a shock to his system. 

He was jarred back to thirteen.

Mom jokes every other minute and any excuse under the sun to wrestle fight with Eddie and feel the scrawny arms and bare legs on him.

He’d laugh delightedly at every shocked expression he’d get and would milk every lost temper he’d cause.

“Come on, Eds, go easy on your future step dad and I might not even ground you for that foul language.”

“Oh fuck  _ off _ , Richie.” Eddie shoved him and they started down the road side by side. 

Things were different after the clown - after It. 

Richie knew he should be brave. He should face his fears and tell Eddie how he felt, how he’s always felt, but every time he tried the words died on his lips. 

There wasn’t a clown to throw it in his face anymore so why should it matter?

He ignored the pang in his heart and warmth in his belly as they walked close enough that their arms were always touching. 

Eddie was quieter now. Facing his mother just left him bitter and lost. Richie made a lot of jokes about Mrs. Kaspbrak, but if he really got a chance to tell her whatever he wanted to, he definitely wouldn’t be doing any wooing. 

“Isn’t it weird that everybody’s just too damn busy to hang out with us anymore?” Eddie said quietly.

Richie hummed in agreement. He wasn’t going to argue the others out of their plans. If it was just him and Eddie the rest of the year he was perfectly fine with that. 

“We can go sneak into the movie easier at least now. Want to go?” 

“Yeah but you’re not picking the movie this time, asshole. That last one was disgusting.” 

They erupted into annoyed yells. Richie was too preoccupied bickering that he didn’t even notice that they were at the kissing bridge until they were on it. 

His words died in his throat. He wanted to be brave. He  _ had _ been brave. He just wanted to be brave enough to face his fear and it seemed laughable to be so petrified of it after all they’d been through. But the thought of losing Eddie was a gamble he couldn’t take. 

“Look at all these new initials.” Eddie blanched. He glanced over and frowned. “You’re real quiet, Trashmouth. I don’t trust it.” 

Richie’s eyes flew over to the newly carved R+E into the wood and back at Eddie, who to his horror followed his gaze. 

Eddie looked back and arched an eyebrow with a small knowing smile.

  
“Hey, earth to Trashmouth?” 

Richie was jolted back to the present. The memories of It and that summer hit him like a train, yet the memory of the shared look he had with Eddie made him feel untouchable. He gaped over at Eddie who was staring at him with his eyebrows furrowed, the same knowing look barely concealed in his eyes. 

“What the fuck are you looking at?” 

Richie beamed. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I have fallen in love with reddie I can't even handle it.  
> please let me know what you think. I'm super nervous since i've never written them before.  
>   
>  **You can reblog it on tumblr here!**


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